


The waiting game

by alchemicalTyphoon



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Pancakes, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 06:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6145312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicalTyphoon/pseuds/alchemicalTyphoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Breakfast is a very important start of the day; everyone knows that. It's no wonder Sam would like to take the human popsicles out for some traditional eggs and bacon. Unfortunately, a few small mishaps happen, resulting in a lot of waiting and nobody ending up at the right eatery. Fortunately, LATE breakfast is still a thing, so not all is lost!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The waiting game

**Author's Note:**

> _Prompted by[this post.](http://stealthbaguette.tumblr.com/post/99272093302/babbleon-someone-should-write-a-story-based-on)_

Sam waited. He’d been doing that for the past two hours and those two old idiots _STILL_ weren’t there. He had given them an address and he had even drawn a little map of how to get here. He peeked out of the blinds.

“ _Fast_ my ass! Can’t believe those fossils are still missing…”

Steve and Bucky were missing out on some great eggs and bacon if they didn’t hurry up already. This diner was going to stop serving breakfast in an hour!

***

Steve was lost. He’d spend the night catching up on some more ‘cultural education’ with his elegant host Tony (“ _You have to watch all these Star Trek episodes! You don’t know what you’re missing if you haven’t seen the key moments that defined some of the greatest sci-fi movies to come, which by the way, I’ll also get you up to date on. Invite the sad raccoon by the way. He could use some of this information too and we should make sure he gets a bit more human contact before he’s unleashed on the general public. They said the same thing about me too and look at what a charismatic prime example of human nature I became._ ”) and after a lot of beers and waking up later than he intended, he asked Tony (who was also in a hurry because he was late for a breakfast date with Pepper), to drop him off at the diner where he was supposed to meet Sam and Bucky.

  


Tony had resolutely dismissed the address Steve gave him and, while talking a mile an hour with both Pepper (on the phone) and him (in the car) simultaneously, ended up dropping him off at “ _this great diner I know that serves positively the best waffles EVER and you and your friends need to experience some. Drop my name and mention the 'Dummy Maple Syrup’ incident and they’ll probably give you some discount because they love me there_ ” and now Steve had no idea where he was. With a sigh and a glance at the retreating back of Tony’s car, Steve walked to the one, sad phone booth he could find and tried to remember what Sam’s phone number was again…

***

Bucky spun on his chair. The old lady at the counter was pretty nice and had given him a second free cup of nice coffee. Probably because she took pity on him. She looked like she was about to give him a slice of cake too if this took any longer.

She passed by him on her way to another customer and he managed a small smile and a nod at her. She beamed at him, patting his gloved hand lightly on the way.

“I’m sure they’ll come, hon.”

  
He’d been waiting at this diner for a while now after Natasha had tried to decipher Sam’s tiny handwriting and awful drawing skills, but she had eventually given up in disgust and walked him here. From what she could decipher, this diner was probably where Sam had wanted to take them to. She’d asked him if he’d be okay, but he’d just shrugged and nodded. Before she left, she’d straightened his jacket and told him to at least smile at the old lady. Bucky was glad he’d followed her advice because the old lady had looked like she’d kick him out of the diner of he hadn’t. Still, he was starting to feel rather awkward and out of place after this long without any sign of Sam or Steve.

He glanced at the door for the eleventh time this hour and sighed. They still weren’t there.

A few regulars said goodbyes to the old lady, telling her they were off to work and then it was just him and the wait staff.

Wow.

Now he REALLY felt awkward.

He tried to slink into his jacket, but was interrupted and shocked by the buzzing in his front pocket. The phone was lit up and it took a moment for him to remember how to take a call.

“Hey, it’s Sam. Is this Bucky?”

“… Yes…”

Sam sounded relieved when he answered, as did the muffled other voice.

“Oh man! You old guys! Okay man, where are you right now? Are you at a diner?”

Bucky looked up, saw the small tray with business cards, asked the old lady if he might have one (“ _Sure you may, hon! That’s what they’re for._ ”), and told Sam the address.

“Okay! You stay there! Don’t leave! I wanted to get you guys some eggs and bacon, but that’s not an option anymore today. Your place has great pancakes though and do actually serve them all day! Just ask for a booth for three people and tell them we’ll be there in fifteen minutes, okay!”

Before Bucky could reply, all he could hear was the disconnect tone. He put away his phone and turned to the old lady.

“May I have a booth for three? My friends will be here in fifteen minutes or so, they said.”

She nodded amiably and walked him to a booth.

***

A little over fifteen minutes, two men walked into the diner, joining the now visibly perked up and very relieved young man at the booth she’d seated. The old lady took their orders and whispered to the young man: “See, I told you your friends would come”.

She got a smile from the young man.

Later, when the trio had left the booth, she discovered they’d given her quite a tip and a scraggly note - ’ _Thanks for looking after Bucky, ma'ame_ ’.

She laughed quietly. It was nice to know polite, young people still existed.


End file.
